Living here
Average rent in Madison
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Madison compares with Wisconsin and the US.
Median rent
$1,364/mo
1% above US
1 bedroom
$1,219/mo
3% above US
2 bedrooms
$1,432/mo
7% above US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
49%
US 50%
Renter households
67,119
Rent by number of bedrooms
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Madison compares
- Madison$1,018
- Wisconsin$878
- United States$1,185
- Madison$1,219
- Wisconsin$863
- United States$1,180
- Madison$1,432
- Wisconsin$1,067
- United States$1,338
- Madison$1,766
- Wisconsin$1,237
- United States$1,500
What rent can you afford?
At 30% of income you can spend about $1,432 a month.
- Studio $1,018
- 1 bedroom $1,219
- 2 bedrooms $1,432
- 3 bedrooms $1,766
- 4 bedrooms $1,868
- 5+ bedrooms $1,690
Green means the median Madison rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
49% of Madison renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 26% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 29.5% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
Rent by zip code
Median gross rent for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area that overlaps Madison.
HUD fair market rents
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Madison
Neighborhoods of Madison
Questions
What is the average rent in Madison?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $1,364 a month, 31% above the Wisconsin median and 1% above the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Madison?
The median one-bedroom rents for $1,219 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Madison?
The median two-bedroom rents for $1,432 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Madison?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($1,432) takes a household income of about $57,280 a year, and a one-bedroom about $48,760.
Is rent affordable in Madison?
About 49% of Madison renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 26% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.